Lemon slice squeezer



April 8, 1958 w. BATTKE 2,829,588

LEMON SLICE SQUEEZER Filed March '5, 1956 MLL/ fiATTKE 'hwuasm,

m-ramws United LEMON SLICE SQUEEZER Willi Battke, Stuttgart, Germany, assignor to F. Bitter & Solm, Munich-Pasing, Bavaria, Germany The present invention relates to lemon slice squeezers consisting of a lower and an upper squeezing plate connected by a hinge. Both squeezing plates are of semicircular construction in known squeezers. Whereas the lower squeezing plate has a turned-up edge as a rear support for the peel of the lemon slice during the squeezing operation, this edge is absent in the upper squeezing plate. So that the peel also of the lemon slice is not squeezed during the squeezing operation an intermediate space of the width of the peel and having edges running concentrically to each other is left in known constructions between the edge of the upper squeezing plate and the edge of the lower squeezing plate.

These known constructions, however, fail to take into consideration the fact that the shape of a lemon in the vast majority of cases isa pronounced oval. Round lemons are a rarity. Even the semi-circular squeezers or squeezing plates fail to take into consideration the fact that the lemon peel is thickest at both ends of the fruit, namely at the stalk attachment and the opposite pointed blossom end, Whereas it becomes thinner towards the middle. These circumstances make it difficult not only to squeeze out the juice correctly and perfectly, but frequently lead to the squeezing operation being impeded by portions of the peel, or the slice of lemon being forced out at the back during the squeezing operation.

An object of the present invention is to avoid the aforementioned disadvantages.

According to thepresent invention the upturned edge of the lower squeezing plate is more or less oval, whereas the edge of the upper squeezing plate is rather semi-circular so that the space between the two edges is narrower in the centre and widens towards the sides.

A further feature consists in the fact that the always visible part of the upper squeezing plate is used to receive imprinted ornamental designs, for example, which preferably refer to the purpose of use, such as representations of a lemon or of dishes in which lemon juice may be used.

The invention will be described further, by Way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a lemon slice squeezer;

Fig. 2 shows another form of the upper squeezing plate;

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Fig. 3 is a medial cross section through the upper squeezing plate;

Fig. 4 is a similar section through the lower squeezing plate; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a slice of lemon which is cut for the squeezer and is to be squeezed out.

The squeezer consists in known manner of a lower squeezing plate 1 with a pouring lip 2 and a turned up edge 3 merging into the handle 4, as also of the upper edgeless squeezing plate 5 carrying the other handle 6. Both squeezing plates are connected together by the hinge 12.

It is apparent from Fig. 1 that the edge 3 of the lower squeezing plate 1 is oval in agreement with the outer edge 7 of the dish 10 of the lemon slice 8 shown in Fig. 5. On the other hand, the upper squeezing plate 5 has a somewhat semi-circular edge 9 so that there is a space left between the two edges 3 and 9 for the peel 10 which is not to be squeezed out. This intermediate space is narrowest in the centre in the case of the handle 4, 6 and widens progressively towards both ends. Its shape corresponds to the changing thickness of the peel of the slice of lemon which fits accurately with its peel into this space after the usual severing of the tip 11. Therefore only the juice cells 13 are squeezed out.

Figs. 1 and 2 show figurative representations such as -a fish 14 and a lemon branch 15, pressed out of the upper plate 5.

I claim:

A lemon slice squeezer comprising a lower squeezing plate having an upwardly flanged edge of substantially semi-oval configuration, an upper squeezing plate hingedly connected to the lower squeezing plate and having a downwardly flanged portion having an edge of substantially semi-circular configuration, the base line of said semi-circular configuration being shorter than and substantially coincident with the base line of said semi-oval configuration, said edge of said downwardly flanged portion being spaced from said upwardly flanged edge, and the spacing between the two said edges being narrower at the central portions of said configurations opposite said base lines than at the side portions of said configurations adjacent the ends of said base lines, and widening toward the latter to provide for efficient accommodation of the peel of a slice from a lemon of normal oval shape between said two edges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,866,487 Ritter July 5, 1932 1,875,678 Thate Sept. 6, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 93,143 Sweden Oct. 31, 1938 302,478 Switzerland Ian. 3, 1955 541,971 Great Britain Dec. 19, 1941 711,235 Germany Sept. 27, 1941 

